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Abstract
Positioning and GIS Technologies Change the World
of Mining and Construction
Martin Nix
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT -MINING AND AGRICULTURE
LEICA GEOSYSTEMS
AUSTRALIA
Abstract
Advances in positioning technologies combined with geospatial information systems, enterprise
collaboration
infrastructures and global visualization are having profound impacts in the areas of construction
and mining. Managing an open pit mine, for example, involves complex data sets that trace the
operations
of hundreds of machines including: trucks, dozers, drills, loaders and draglines. Tracing the flow of
material and monitoring the location and performance of machinery is key to effective, safe and
profitable
mine operations. GNSS based machine control and monitoring systems can now be installed on the
various mine machines to track its location as the key attribute for the mine monitoring geospatial
information which goes beyond the traditional concept of a mine Fleet management system. Now the
machine operator themselves can see the same interactive map of the mine site as the central dispatch
and operations group. Automatic dispatching mathematics interacts with the geospatial database to
optimize the arrival times of trucks at shovels and ensure material stockpiles have the right blend of
material at the right time for market demand and prices. Positioning systems located on the machinery
underpin the information to monitor shovel positions on an excavator or blade angles on a dozer which
appear on the operator's screen to increase their efficiency. The data base on the machine is synchronized
with the operations center information system every few seconds to provide data about the operator, the
machine itself and the material flow. Other measuring systems provide geospatial data for mine and
construction sites. High definition laser scanning can be used to directly measure stockpiles or high walls.
High walls can be monitored for movement using GNSS or laser distance measurements to provide early
warning systems. All of this geospatial information can be accessed and viewed using visualization
systems to provide real time monitoring of mine or construction sites, allowing operational targets to be
set from the office and displayed to operators who can monitor their individual shift performance in
harmony with overall operations. The latest advances in geospatial information systems are improving
the efficiency of operations and will extend the visibility from the site to remote offices.
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